Ambassador Pou Sothirak, Executive Director of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace was invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia to deliver a remark via Videoconference. The theme of his presentation is Roads Toward Sustainable Peace through the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
The essence of Amb. Pou Sothirak’s remark is his reflection on the effort made by ASEAN and China in developing the DOC and COC. He also assesses their merits and discusses their deficits as well as highlights priorities for effective implementation of the DOC before he gives a conclusion with some considerations for ASEAN and China to work together to address their differences to conclude the COC negotiations, so as to ensure sustainable peace in the South China Sea.
The DOC stipulated that all signatory-states should resolve disputes through peaceful means and refrain from the conduct of activities that would escalate tensions. The DOC, which is not binding, serves as a guiding template for the Code of Conduct (COC), which supposes to be a binding one. There is a recognition that moving from DOC to COC is critically important for the region to contain and defuse the current tensions in the South China Sea.
The roads to sustainable peace for the South China Sea require full implementation of the DOC which can truly play its role in safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea. All parties must strictly abide by the spirit of the DOC. Its duties should involve more than imposing moral constraints on relevant parties and transpire beyond collective efforts to maintain the overall stability in the South China Sea. It must be able to fulfill its three intended purposes: promoting confidence-building measures, engaging in practical maritime cooperation, and setting the stage for the discussion and conclusion of a formal and binding COC.
